


shiro's starbucks shenanigans

by lavenderyaoyorozu



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bonding, Characters will be added as story progresses, Friendship, M/M, PINING KEITH, Starbucks AU, Voltron au, coffee shop AU, hey it's a coffee shop au!, pidge likes to curse, pining lance, the first chapter is platonic no shidge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-09-14 05:35:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9164410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavenderyaoyorozu/pseuds/lavenderyaoyorozu
Summary: Shiro gets a job as a barista at Starbucks in between waiting to apply for an internship at NASA. He meets a few characters, that's for sure; caffeine dependent and addicted teenagers, flirty university students and more than a few colourful characters.





	1. the deal with caffeine dependent high schoolers

**Author's Note:**

> hey everyone! so this will be my first multi chapter fic, blease be nice. each character will have a chapter focusing on them, and maybe more if i think of any. hopefully you like, you can follow me on tumblr at altruisticallura.tumbr.com if you want!! (-:

As soon as he stepped in the door, the dark and bitter yet still inviting smell of coffee beans roasting overpowered him. Shiro wouldn’t call himself a coffee snob, but he definitely had a soft spot for the drink that had kept him going for all the years it took him to complete his theoretical physics degree. So, after finishing his degree and realising that he needed to start making a living to pay off his student loans (and eat something that wasn’t instant noodles for dinner every night) he managed to land himself a job as a barista at Starbucks. The manager of the store, an eccentric man named Coran, explained to him that he’d have some cleaning duties as well, since they were a little short-staffed. This Starbucks was oh-so-strategically built right across from the city’s university, where sleep-deprived, caffeine-dependent students could get their daily fix. Hell, Shiro had actually been one of those students just over a year ago, so he always made sure to go out of his way to make the coffee better than usual when he saw the tell-tale black bags under someone’s eyes. Shiro had gotten to know some regulars, of course. Some he remembered more than others.  
  
Surprisingly, one of these regulars was not a university student. Pidge, as Shiro knew from the infinite number of times he’d called her name to get her order, went to a local high school two blocks away. Four days a week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays) she’d rush in, hastily order her drink, then splay _all_ of her textbooks over the biggest table she could find. Within twenty minutes, she would have sculled her drink and there would be eraser and pencil shavings and scrunched papers filled with ruined equations littering the desk.  
  
Shiro can remember the first time he took her order. ‘Hi, how are you? What can I get for you today?’ He’d chirped, as he was meant to.  
  
‘Great. One Grande dark roast, no milk, no sugar,’ She’d replied, the words rolling off her tongue smoothly, like she’d said it a hundred times before.  
  
Shiro had taken a second to eye her at this point; she was short, her short brown hair thrown lazily over her shoulders (and looking like it hadn’t seen a hairbrush in a few days.) She looked _way_ too young to be the type of person ordering that much black coffee, especially when Shiro saw the schoolbag hoisted over her shoulders and the high school uniform.  
  
The girl in question raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. ‘Uh, hello? One Grande dark roast, no milk or sugar?’  
  
The annoyance in her tone snapped Shiro out of his trance. ‘Oh, sorry. One Grande dark roast, no milk or sugar,’ He repeated. ‘Name?’  
  
‘Pidge.’ Something in her eyes seemed to say _you must be new._  
  
‘Alright, that will be $3.50.’ Pidge handed over her cash and Shiro gave her change. Shiro watched as she went and sat at a table, pulling out a weighty-looking Physics book, along with two tattered notebook. He shook his head; _kids these days._ The after-school rush hadn’t fully set in yet and the suburban moms had not yet come to haunt him, so he took a little extra time in to making sure the coffee was extra strong.  
  
‘Order for Pidge!’ Shiro called once he was done. She didn’t look up at first, scribbling another few notes on the paper and tapping a few buttons on her calculator. Shiro nearly went to say her name again, but then she jumped up, the oak chair scraping against the wooden floor, as if it took the effort of a hundred battles just to look up from whatever study she was doing. Pidge took the coffee, giving Shiro a slightly forced smile. Shiro noticed the extremely black bags under her eyes and smiled back, though his was genuine. He could definitely empathise with her, as he was once a high school Physics student too – and it was not an easy subject. The rest of the afternoon went rather quickly, Shiro serving more unfamiliar faces.  
  
‘Shiro?’ Coran called from the back. ‘Can you lock up tonight? I’m knocking off early.’  
  
‘Why? Got somewhere to be?’ Shiro loved that everyone he worked with was so laidback, especially Coran – it made for some great banter, plus he could freely talk to customers as he made coffee (within reason of course.)  
  
‘If I do, it’s certainly not here! Keys are in the safe, bye now!’ Coran chirped.  
  
Shiro couldn’t help but crack a smile as he kept making the order. Before he knew it, the shining spring sun had faded into the glow of dusk. Giving a quick glance to the clock and seeing it was nearly quarter-past-five, he started to wipe down each of the tables, save for the one occupied by - what was her name? Pidge? He waited a little longer for her, but she continued to write and write and write.  
  
‘Miss?’ Shiro said cautiously. ‘We’re just about to shut up shop, so-‘  
  
‘What? Oh, my bad. Just this last question.’ Pidge went back to her work as if he’d never said anything in the first place. Shiro stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, the cloth he was using hanging in his hands. Pidge underlined her answer, flipped to the back of the book, and Shiro saw a little gleam of satisfaction in her eyes as she gave her answer a big tick in red pen. Abruptly, she shut the book, giving a slight echo that went through the now long empty café. Stuffing it in her bag, she side-eyed Shiro, a smirk on her face. ‘You know, you make good coffee for a newbie.’  
  
Shiro wanted to tell her that he had worked as a barista before, but decided against it. ‘Thanks,’ He said, and she gave a nod in reply. ‘You drink coffee that strong all the time? How old are you?’  
  
‘Don’t look so surprised. It’s the only way,’ She gave him a grin. ‘I’m seventeen.’  
  
Shiro gave a low whistle. ’Seventeen and already a major coffee snob, hey?’  
  
‘Hey, I’m drinking _Starbucks_ coffee. Not exactly a place for coffee snobs. Not denying that I am one, because I am. Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?’ And with that, Pidge popped her earphones in and disappeared through the entrance.  
  
Shiro shook his head (for what seemed like the nth time today), feeling like Pidge was just the first of many of the characters he’d be meeting during his new job.  
  
\--  
  
True to her promise, Pidge was right on time at 3:30 the next afternoon. Shiro saw her face light up as soon as she saw him making coffee for the people in front of him. By the time she was at the front of the line, she was beyond impatient, giving an exasperated sigh. ‘What, desperate to put your nose in your books already?’  
  
Pidge gave him an extremely exasperated look. ‘No! Well, yes actually. More importantly, I’m excited for coffee. It was good yesterday. Very.’  
  
Shiro tried not to let the corners of his mouth quirk up, considering how seriously Pidge took her coffee. ‘I’m glad. Same as yesterday then?’ Pidge nodded exuberantly, already heading in the direction of her usual table. ‘Coming right up!’  
  
And so was their routine for weeks; Pidge would come in and most of the time, Shiro would have her order ready before she even set foot in the store. Their banter continued back and forth, bemused customers asking if they were brother and sister, which would horrify Pidge.  
  
On a particularly hectic day, Shiro found himself off his feet with orders, having to get a third barista on with him. Customer after customer flew by, and cup after cup of coffee was made. Around quarter to five in the afternoon, the steady flow of people seemed to ebb down, and the café was quiet and peaceful once more. Shiro thought he finally had a second to take a quick break before he started closing up, but someone cleared their throat at the front counter.  
  
Shiro irritably looked up, but his eyes softened when he saw it was Pidge. ‘Something up?’  
  
‘Uh, yeah. I need another coffee.’ Her eyes flitted to the three books she had left unattended at her desk – er, table.  
  
Shiro raised an eyebrow, noting that the bags under her eyes seemed to have doubled in size overnight. ‘Are you sure? It’s early five. You won’t sleep tonight.’  
  
‘You say that as if I was actually going to be doing a whole lot of sleeping tonight. Please Shiro?’ Pidge was nearly whining, putting on her best pout.  
  
‘Fine. But only because it’s you, kiddo.’  
  
Pidge pumped her fist in the air at her victory, and looked even more triumphant when she took a sip and found that Shiro had made it just a tad stronger for her. ‘You’re the best, Shiro,’ She said, returning to her equations.  
  
It wasn’t busy, and Coran wasn’t around, so Shiro could comfortably converse with any customer that came in. Although, the only people who wanted caffeine at five o’clock in the afternoon were either the university students who worked night shifts at their job, or oddball high school students who spent more time studying than was healthy (no naming names.) On these occasions, he’d talk to whoever was around as he cleaned. Simple questions, how was your day, what are you up to at school, et cetera. With Pidge, it was a bit different. She didn’t do a whole lot of talking while she worked (unless it was to herself, of course; an unfortunate habit that sometimes made people around her look at her quizzically. Pidge didn’t notice this, of course.) She was a little more inquisitive. ‘Hey Shiro?’  
  
‘Yeah?’  
  
‘Do you want to be a barista forever?’  
  
Shiro didn’t say anything, going deep into thought.  
  
‘Oh, oh shit. Am I prying? I didn’t mean to, I-‘  
  
‘Pidge, it’s fine.’ He looked away from the coffee machine and towards her. ‘Short answer? No. I didn’t work my ass off getting an astrophysics degree for nothing.’  
  
Pidge’s draw dropped. ‘You have an astrophysics degree?! That’s so _awesome._ Why didn’t I know this earlier?’  
  
Shiro laughed. ‘You didn’t ask! I finished my degree a year ago. I want to be a pilot. With NASA. God, there’s so much out there, you know? I want to explore it all.’ Shiro tried to avoid getting too wistful. ‘But, I have a student debt to pay, so until then I’m stuck making coffees for gremlins like you.’  
  
‘Oh come on, I’m your best customer. And favourite too, probably.’ She gulped down the last of her coffee. ‘That’s cool about the NASA thing. I want to be a computer engineer. I want to build things. To do with technology.’  
  
‘That’s pretty cool.’ Shiro went back to wiping down the counter. ‘What makes you want to do that?’  
  
‘I don’t really know, to be honest. Seeing something you’ve created…like, yourself! You made it! It’s so _satisfying._ It’s such a good feeling. I want to build things forever.’  
  
Shiro could relate to that. He’d spent hours and hours awake, looking up at the starry night sky, just thinking about what could be out there undiscovered. ‘I’m sure you can do it. With all the study you do, I’m surprised you haven’t been dumped into university yet.’  
  
Pidge threw herself back in her chair. ‘Exams are in four weeks’ time. School is tough.’  
  
‘Well you’re tougher,’ Shiro said, with finality. Pidge stared at the window, her expression unreadable as she watched the students across the road coming and going.  
  
\---  
  
Another two weeks had passed, and Pidge was regularly buying two coffees after school every day.  
  
‘How are you paying for this?’ Shiro asked incredulously as she handed him a five dollar note. It was close to five now, and the shop was empty. ‘You don’t even have a job.’  
  
‘Not a proper job, no. But I’m good with computers, remember? Everyone was coming to me with their problems, and if you’re good at something, you should profit off it, right?’ She took a deep breath; sometimes she talked so fast she forgot to breathe. ‘So I started charging. $20 an hour for tutorials for how to properly use them, and then different prices again depending on what type of problem I’m working with. If it’s iTunes related, I’m going to charge a more because I fucking hate dealing with iTunes, Jesus Christ. Every error code I see is an hour lost off my life.’  
  
Sometimes Shiro forgot Pidge was seventeen; the way she talked so matter-of-factly, she seemed to have it all worked out. ‘Impressive,’ He said. ‘I’ll recommend you to anyone having iTunes problems.’  
  
‘Oh, please do,’ She muttered sarcastically. ‘Thanks for the coffee.’  
  
‘Was that the third one you ordered?’ His words came out a little more accusatorily then questioning, and Pidge knew it.  
  
‘Yeah. So? Exams are in two weeks.’ She sounded defensive, so Shiro switched the topic.  
  
‘How’s prep going?’ Shiro asked, a little more carefully.  
  
‘Alright. Projectile motion and calculus driving me up the fucking wall, but other than that it’s okay.’ Pidge took a long sip of her coffee.  
  
‘Projectile motion isn’t _that_ bad. I can help you with it if you need it. I’ve done more than my fair share of projectile motion questions.’  
  
‘You’re making yourself sound old. But, thank you. I get the feeling I’m going to need to take you up on that offer soon,’ Pidge replied, biting her lip.  
  
The rest of the afternoon was silent, except for the melodic jazz tunes playing through the speakers and the scratch of a pen against paper.  
  
\--  
  
Pidge liked coming to Starbucks to study. Yeah, she spent all her money on coffee, but it was so much easier to study when she was here, with caffeine practically flowing into her veins. Plus, she liked the atmosphere. Even through her headphones, she could hear the steady thrum of people chatting, laughing and just generally being _happy._ Not exactly something you heard in the average high school class room full of extremely stressed teenagers. The silence of the classroom sometimes proved rewarding when she could solve problems that no-one else could, but Pidge felt no use in knowing how to solve an equation when she felt so goddamn worried doing it. Pidge would occasionally glance up people who were sitting across from her. Nine times out of ten they looked calm and content, and Pidge would take a deep breath and think _it’s okay it’s okay they’ve probably survived things harder than high school and you will too._ Then she’d work.  
  
_Today has been the most shit day in the history of shit days,_ Pidge thought, and she’d had her fair share. It started in the most classic way of course – she forgot to set her alarm, and had to get her brother to take her to school. Luckily, she arrived right on time, but then she forgot her calculator and had to use the shitty calculator on her phone. _It’s not like it mattered anyway,_ Pidge thought bitterly. _I still couldn’t solve them._ As if she was going to ask for help – she was Pidge Gunderson, and everyone both thought and expected her to know everything, so she was going to act like it.  
  
So, as she sat at her table in Starbucks with her head down so no-one saw the tears slowly threatening to pour down her face, she wondered how she could possibly swallow her excessively large pride and ask a simple question. _Fuck my life. I have the option to email my teacher, the others and even google the question but I_ **can’t.**  
  
So for the next hour, Pidge stared down at the half-filled page in front of her, eyes occasionally flitting to that goddamned question and her hand twitching to write. Pidge resorted to drawing all down the margin of her page to the point where you couldn’t see the white underneath it. Finally, there were no customers left and Pidge heard the manager ask Shiro to clean up. When Shiro finally walked out with the cleaning rag in his hands, Pidge could’ve breathed a sigh of relief. Neither of them spoke as Pidge littered the margin further and Shiro wiped down all the table-tops. Pidge packed up her things ready to go, any nerve she had built up to ask gone. Before she left, Shiro stopped her. ‘Pidge, is something wrong?’  
  
‘Yes! Yes! Everything is wrong, _oh my god.’_ Pidge’s tears threatened to return.  
  
‘Whoa, whoa! Calm down a little. Want to give me some specifics to work with?’ Shiro threw the cloth over his shoulder before making his way over to Pidge.  
  
‘I can’t do projectile motion questions. Physics exam is Friday. That’s tomorrow. I’m _screwed._ ’ Pidge put her head in her hands.  
  
‘That’s it?’ Shiro visibly relaxed. ‘I thought it was something serious. You’ve been doing them for weeks.’  
  
‘Fine. I can’t do ones where you have to solve for the time of flight.’  
  
‘Okay. Let me lock up. It’s still light out, we’ll go sit on that bench over there and work it out, yeah?’  
  
Five minutes later, the two of them were sat on the bench. ‘Okay. Any working out I can see so far?’ Shiro asked. Pidge shoved her half-filled page in his direction, which he chose not to comment on. Shiro followed it along with his finger, then stopped. ‘Are you…are you trying to complete the square?’  
  
‘Well, duh,’ Pidge huffed. ‘That’s what you’re supposed to do!’ Shiro said nothing. ‘Right?’  
  
‘Well, you _can,_ but, it’s a lot easier if you do this.’ Taking her pen, he scribbled down a short few lines. ‘Solve for the initial velocity, then solve for time. Plug those numbers in for me.’  
  
Pidge nodded, fingers flying over the buttons. ‘Oh. 11.2. You were right,’  
  
‘That must have been hard to admit,’ Shiro said, giving her a toothy grin. ‘Have you been trying to complete the square every time you have to solve for time? Christ, no wonder you found it so hard. I mean, it’s possible, but with the type of numbers you have to work with, and not being able to use programmable calculators, you can save yourself the trouble.’  
  
‘Alright. Alright. I can do that.’ Pidge took a shuddery breath in, realising how much tension she was holding in her shoulders. They ached from being kept in such a rigid position all day.  
  
‘That’s what I like to hear.’ Shiro stood up, stretching his arms high above his head. ‘Now, get going, would you? Get some sleep so you can ace that exam.’  
  
‘Thanks, Shiro. I mean it. I’ll see you on Monday, then.’ Pidge gave him a mock-salute, which he returned before they parted ways.  
  
When Monday came around, Pidge walked in to the café with no changes to her usual demeanour. Shiro felt slightly worried when he saw her, assuming the exam didn’t go as well as she planned. There’d been a business conference in town, and Shiro hadn’t had the time to make Pidge’s coffee yet, so he talked to her as he made it.  
  
‘How’d the exam go?’ Shiro asked as he frothed the milk.  
  
Pidge shrugged. ‘I can’t say until the marks are posted, I guess. They’re getting posted in an hour.’  
  
‘Seems fair. What exam is next?’  
  
‘Chem tomorrow. Did the others last week,’ Pidge said nonchalantly.  
  
‘Really? You never mentioned it.’ Shiro handed Pidge her drink. ‘You’re clearly feeling confident, then.’ Pidge made such a big deal of her study, but didn’t’ actually seem to care about the actual exam process so much.  
  
Pidge tilted her head. ‘I haven’t gotten anything lower than an A yet, so I feel alright.’  
  
Shiro shook his head, disbelieving. ‘The only thing I have to say is well done.’ He passed over her coffee. ‘Let me know when your score’s up.’  
  
Pidge nodded; she was sure that she would be getting an A, but there was always that niggling feeling of self-doubt. So, sitting at ‘her’ table, she completed as many synthesis equations as you could. Pidge smirked to herself as she leaned back, sipping her coffee. Chemistry was such a good subject, so clean and simple. Physics was always a little more complicated. Shaking the prospect of getting a B from her mind, she buried herself in some notes on nanoparticles. _Fascinating stuff._ At 4:25pm, she logged on to her online Physics classroom to get her score.  
  
4:26. Refresh page. Nothing.  
4:28. Refresh page. Nothing.  
4:30. Refresh page. Nothing, ****_fuck._  
4:32. Refresh page. Nothing, fuck honestly how hard is it to upload scores.  
4:33. Refresh. 97%. A+.  
  
‘Yes!’ Pidge half jumped up, nearly knocking her stuff off the table and giving the other customers a good scare. Shiro was at the counter and was serving, but flashed her a smile which she gratefully returned. Pidge refreshed the page, just to be sure – the 97% showed up again, and she grinned. God, it felt good to be _good_ at something.  
  
‘Order for Pidge!’ Shiro called from the front.  
  
Pidge frowned. She hadn’t ordered anything. Still, she went up to retrieve the drink. It was busy today, and short-staffed, so Shiro was already making another drink. ‘Uh, Shiro? I didn’t order this.’  
  
‘It’s on the house,’ Shiro said, bot looking away from the coffee machine. ‘Congratulations are in order, I think.’  
  
Pidge felt more than a little touched – coffee was most certainly the way to her friendship. ‘Thanks, Shiro!’ Pidge would’ve liked to say more, but the line of customers was starting to lead out of the entrance, so she returned to her ever-fascinating notes on nanoparticles. She’d see Shiro later.  
  
5:15pm came, and Shiro, Pidge and two random university students who were finishing their drinks and discussing some maths theorem over Frappuccinos. Shiro was scrubbing down the tables, as per usual, and Pidge was texting on her phone, nanoparticles and synthesis reactions long forgotten.  
  
‘Wanna know what I scored?’ Pidge asked, unable to hide the immense pride she felt.  
  
The corners of Shiro’s mouth upturned as he moved to the next table. ‘You sound happy. You know I want to know.’  
  
‘Ninety-seven percent,’ She replied, the words tasting sweet as they rolled off her tongue.  
  
‘Oh, wow. That’s amazing! Well done. You can thank my amazing coffee making skills for that, I’m sure,’ Shiro said, to which Pidge have a dramatic eye roll. ‘Relax, I’m kidding. That’s all your hard work, and only _partially_ the coffee.’  
  
‘I will admit, I’m not sure I would’ve survived without it,’ Pidge took an exaggerated sip of the coffee in front of her to accentuate her point. ‘Really though, thank you.’  
  
Shiro nodded, a gentle smile on his face. ‘Good luck for your last exam tomorrow.’ The other two students were packing up her things, and Pidge took that as a cue to put her books in her bag too.  
  
‘Thanks. See you later then. Don’t think that just because exams aren’t looming over me I’m not going to be needing coffee through a drip.’ Pidge gave a goofy smile and a quick salute as she exited through the front door.  
  
Shiro smiled to himself as he put the cleaning supplies back. Something told him he was going to like the people he met during his time working at Starbucks.


	2. sweet enough already

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Can you add a pump of chocolate syrup to my usual order? I feel like something sweeter’ Keith asked, running a quick hand through his hair.
> 
> ‘Why? Wouldn’t you say you’re sweet enough already?’ Lance gave Keith the cheesiest grin in all of history, before giving him a quick wink and rushing to make the drink before he started hyperventilating. Keith laughed, a hearty laugh that made Lance want to wrap his arms around him immediately.

Spring was quickly into summer, and Shiro could feel a little bounce in his step as he walked to work that day. It was 8:00 in the morning, and he was due to start around 8:15. Work was nice now – the fresh summer air seemed to make everyone a little bit happier. Hell, even Pidge was stopping by the café a little later, saying she’d been with friends. After the success of her past exams, Shiro caught her slacking off a little more. _With those grades, I guess she can afford to,_ he mused, crossing the road to the café. Shiro could see that it was already pretty busy around town, and he had to gently excuse his way through a small sea of people just to get to the entrance. When he went to the back to get his apron, Coran was standing there, along with a guy Shiro had never seen before.  
  
‘Ah, Shiro! You’re here, finally. Just in time for me to introduce you to our newest employee, Lance,’ Coran said, giving the guy (Lance, presumably) a good clap on the back, leaving him looking a little winded.  
  
‘Hi!’ Lance squeaked, before clearing his throat and straightening up a little. ‘I’m Lance, nice to meet you. Shiro, right?’ Lance gave him a cheeky grin and stuck out his hand.  
  
Shiro shook it, giving him a gentle smile. ‘Great to have you on board, Lance. Is this your first time working as a barista?’ Lance nodded. ‘Great, guess I’ll be showing you the ropes then.’  
  
‘Great, thanks Shiro! I’ll be out back if you need me,’ Coran said, giving Lance another slap on the back, winding him even further. Shiro decided he should probably take Lance out the front and show him everything before the morning rush started ( _and_ before Coran knocked all the air out of him.)  
  
‘Alright, so you’ve been to a Starbucks before, right?’ Shiro asked.  
  
Lance nodded. ‘Only, you know, every day of my life!’  
  
Shiro couldn’t help but grin at Lance’s enthusiastic attitude. ‘Great. So you know the drill then? Order here, write it down, take their name and-‘  
  
‘Make the best goddamn coffee they’ve ever had in their _life!_ ’ Lance finished Shiro’s sentence.  
  
‘You seem confident for someone who’s never worked as a barista before,’ Shiro said, and Lance froze, wondering if he’d come off a little too cocky. ‘Hey now, don’t look so scared. Think you could make a better brew than me?’ Shiro said, humour in his voice.  
  
‘Oh, you’re on man!’ Lance said.  
  
Shiro felt an idea formulating in his head. ‘Alright, there’s a girl who comes in around 3:30 in the afternoon. She’s 17, and she drinks her coffee black, darker than any teenager should – she’s also a major coffee snob. Try to impress her, would you?’ Shiro smirked as he tossed Lance an apron.  
  
‘I’m great at impressing people,’ Lance said boldly, putting the apron over his head. ‘I Impressed you enough already, didn’t I?’  
  
‘For sure, buddy,’ Shiro shook his head in wonder at his confidence.  
  
The morning rush started soon after, and Shiro really _was_ impressed when it turned out Lance could actually make good coffee. Like, _really_ good coffee. One customer, a little old lady who Shiro knew was a regular, even came back and bought a second coffee because she liked it that much. Honestly, Shiro was a little jealous, but the shocked, yet self-assured look on Lance’s face when she told him how much she liked it made Shiro happier than it should have.  
  
‘Guess you’re not half bad then, hey buddy?’ Shiro leaned back on the counter a little as the rush died down and they waited for the next customer.  
  
‘You really think so?’ Lance shot Shiro a mixed look of shock and bewilderment.  
  
Shiro furrowed his eyebrows. How weird for Lance to start doubting himself now. ‘Well, yeah. Didn’t you see how happy that lady was with her order?’  
  
Lance looked a bit confused. ‘I mean, yeah, I guess? I just wasn’t expecting to be any good at this, like _at all.’_  
  
Ah, so that was how it was. Shiro could understand now. ‘Lance. Listen to me for a second. The way you worked for the two hours that just passed? I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone work so efficiently on their first day before. You should be happy with yourself. I certainly am.’  
  
Lance swallowed quickly, running his hands through his hair. ‘Thanks, Shiro. That means a lot. I’m nervous.’  
  
Shiro laughed. ‘I could tell. Relax now, would you? You’re doing fine.’  
  
Lance nodded, his hands shaking a little, but looking relieved nonetheless.  
  
The afternoon lazily rolled around and with every minute that passed, the café got a little bit hotter. To Lance, oh no, this simply would not do. ‘Shiro. Shiro, I’m dying in here! Turn the AC on.’ Lance exaggerated his request by slumping over next to the coffee machine.  
  
‘It’s already on, Lance. You were the one who turned it on.’ Shiro had to stop himself from laughing, though. The few hours spent working with Lance had perhaps been the most fun Shiro had had at work in well, _ever._ Lance’s sense of humour was infectious, and Shiro hadn’t seen a customer served by him leave without a smile on their face yet.  
  
It had been quiet for a bit, but then the bell on the door rang as someone pushed it open. A guy who looked about the same age as Lance, but was shorter, had a build like an athlete and had his black hair styled in a mullet entered. His expression blank as he walked up to the counter. Lance seemed to be frozen on the spot for a second, before he kicked into action.  
  
‘Hi there, welcome to Starbucks! How can I serve you today?’ Lance talked rapidly, hands wringing behind his back. Shiro tried not to stare as he listened to the odd exchange from the register next to Lance. Was Lance _flustered?_ Sure, Shiro had known the guy for all of six hours, but Lance did not seem like the type of guy who got flustered.  
  
The customer didn’t seem to notice that Lance was acting weird. ‘Can I get a Grande iced coffee with a double shot of espresso?’  
  
‘And who will that be for?’  
  
‘Keith.’  
  
Lance nods. ‘You must like your caffeine, hey Keith?’ Lance said, soliciting an eye roll from Keith, that in no way deterred Lance. ‘That’ll be $4.10’ Keith handed over the change and Lance set to work on the order. Shiro chose not to comment on how Lance nearly tripped over Shiro as he started making the other customer’s order. Keith watched the display with a degree of amusement on his face.  
  
‘Here you go, one grande iced coffee with a double shot of espresso! Enjoy.’ Lance handed the drink to Keith with a gratuitous smile, which Keith half-returned, mumbling a _thanks_ before he set off. Shiro waited before the customer he was serving was out of earshot before talking to Lance.  
  
‘Lance-‘  
  
‘It’s not what it looks like, I swear!’ Lance said, looking more flustered already.  
  
‘I was going to ask if you could wipe down some of the tables at the front. What were _you_ talking about?’ Shiro gave him an all-knowing smile.  
  
Lance gave a melodramatic sigh. ‘He goes to the university. We….he sits at the desk across from me in the library..’  
  
‘And?’ Shiro handed Lance the towel they used to wipe down the tables.  
  
Lance stared at Shiro, mouth agape. ‘And? _And?_ He’s cute Shiro!’ Lance huffed, storming off to clean the tables, returning about ten minutes later, which was right on cue for Pidge to enter.  
  
‘Oh, here she is!’ Shiro said as she walked up to the counter. ‘Lance, it’s the moment of truth, get over here!’  
  
Pidge gave him an unamused look. ‘Am I missing something here?’  
  
‘Lance, meet Pidge, our branch’s resident coffee snob and the _only_ teenager who drinks coffee as strong as she does. Pidge, meet Lance, he started today and makes good coffee. He’ll be making your order today.’ Shiro was beside himself at this point.  
  
‘Alright.’ Pidge leaned forward, a glint of x in her eyes. ‘One Grande dark roast, double shot. Can you do that?’ She said it like it was a challenge, putting a fierce look of determination in Lance’s eyes.  
  
‘Oh, you don’t even know,’ Lance said. ‘Coming right up!’  
  
Shiro went to take the next customer’s order as Lance made Pidge’s. He heard Lance call her name, and out of the corner of his eye, saw Pidge sit down at her regular table. Both Shiro and Lance forgot about her for a second as they focused on powering through the after-school rush.  
  
Pidge wandered back over to the counter around twenty minutes later, her jaw set.  
  
‘So, what’d you think?’ Lance said, the anxiety in his tone obvious.  
  
Pidge inhaled very slowly, like she was summoning all their strength in her tiny five-foot-two self. Then, she slammed a five dollar bill down on the table. ‘Lance. I need another. Please.’  
  
‘You even managed to impress _Pidge,_ Lance! See, you’re good at this,’ Shiro put the money in the till before handing Pidge her change. Shiro watched the confidence practically flow into Lance as he worked, chatting to Pidge all the while, even making her laugh occasionally. Shiro did eavesdrop a bit, learning that Lance was studying his first year of aeronautical physics at the university across the road from the café. A minute later, Pidge left with her second coffee and a content smile on her face.  
  
The next few days passed without much difference, with Lance getting better and better at his job with every day that passed. Lance and Shiro took turns taking Pidge’s order (although she would never admit who’s she preferred.) Keith came in most days, ordering the same drink to the point where Lance had it memorised. Keith laughed a little more when Lance flirted with him too. Every time Lance coaxed a smile or laugh out of him, he felt his heart thump loudly in his chest and a gradual blush creeping up his face.  
  
Keith actually ended up showing up around 3:30, the same time as Pidge, who watched in great interest as Lance and Keith flirted in front of her.  
  
‘Can you add a pump of chocolate syrup to my usual order? I feel like something sweeter’ Keith asked, running a quick hand through his hair.  
  
‘Why? Wouldn’t you say you’re sweet enough already?’ Lance gave Keith the cheesiest grin in all of history, before giving him a quick wink and rushing to make the drink before he started hyperventilating. Keith laughed, a hearty laugh that made Lance want to wrap his arms around him immediately.  
  
Pidge looked to Shiro, her mouth agape. ‘ _The fuck was that?’_ She mouthed to Shiro, who gave a shrug in response. Pidge’s eyes shot back to Lance, who was scribbling a little more than just his name onto Keith’s cup. _Jesus Christ,_ Pidge though to herself as she watched Keith take his order and exhale softly as he saw a series of numbers scribbled across it.  
  
'I'll see you later, hey Lance?' Keith tilted his head to the side and gave Lance a lopsided smile. You could literally see Lance melting into a puddle.  
  
'Y-yeah! Bye,' Lance's voice rose a few octaves and he didn't take his eyes off Keith once as he left.  
  
‘Lance, that was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my life!’, I felt like I was watching a movie or something,’ Pidge said as she handed over her money, not needing to recite her order by now. ‘But, I have at least three cavities now. I’m sending you my dentist bill, but I’ll also accept my payout in coffee.’  
  
‘Shut up Pidge,’ Lance, who was shaking uncontrollably due to the adrenaline in his system said, though he smiled as he made her coffee.  
  
‘You’ve got it bad,’ Pidge teaesd. ‘Who’s he?’  
  
Lance shrugged. ‘Keith. Just a guy I know from school.’  
  
Shiro scoffed. ‘Oh yeah, just a guy who you talk about literally whenever he’s not around. Pidge, get this, Lance texted me _before he even got to work_ yesterday, asking if Keith had been in yet. Then whenever he’s around Lance practically falls over himself.’ Lance gave Shiro a jab in the ribs.  
  
‘Lance put his number on Keith’s cup!’ Pidge blurted.  
  
‘Did not!’ Lance all but shoved her drink into her hands.  
  
‘I saw it! Did you see the look on his face, Lance? He was swooning. You made a grown ass man _swoon,_ Lance!’ Pidge blew away some of the steam on her coffee.  
  
Lance paused, hand mid-air. ‘Do you really think so?’  
  
‘Oh, I _know_ so. Anyway, study calls. I’ll see you guys later.’ Pidge gave her trademark salute before going to her table.  
  
Shiro and Lance didn’t say much for the rest of the afternoon, but Lance couldn’t hide the spring in his step as he worked.  
  
\--  
  
Wednesday and Thursday were Lance’s days off, so everything was a little bit quieter those days. Shiro found that the day dragged on a little bit longer without Lance making puns or flirting with the customers every five minutes.  
  
Something that did catch Shiro’s attention was when Keith came in and ordered his Grande iced coffee with a double shot of espresso and chocolate syrup _and_ a Venti vanilla latte. Which normally wouldn’t be a big deal, but Venti vanilla lattes were _Lance’s_ favourite.  
  
Hm.  
  
‘Alright, coming your way!’ Shiro started making the coffees, mind buzzing the whole time. Keith definitely looked much happier than he normally did today, leading Shiro to the rather obvious conclusion that Keith and Lance were hanging out at the _very least_ today.  
  
His conclusion was even further strengthened when Lance popped in the next morning before class started, ordering a (shocker) Venti vanilla latte and a Grande iced coffee with a double shot of espresso and chocolate syrup.  
  
‘So you and Keith are ordering for each other now, hey?’ Shiro shot him an omniscient look.  
  
‘What? Oh, yeah we’ve been hanging out,’ Lance said meekly, shifting from one foot to another.  
  
‘That’s great, Lance. I’m happy for you,’ Shiro said as he handed Lance their drinks. Lance flashed him a grateful smile before hurrying off so he wasn’t late for class.  
  
A few weeks later, Lance and Shiro were giving the café a full clean after they had closed. Pidge was still there too, of course. It really was quite a state - no-one realised how much dust was around the place until they started cleaning. Lance had been chatting to both of them the whole time, his exaggerated hand movements making Shiro laugh under his breath and his ridiculous sound effects to whatever story he was telling making Pidge roll her eyes (she couldn’t hide her smile behind her textbook, though.) Once he started mopping, Lance was uncharacteristically quiet. The silence was fine at first, but Pidge found herself irritated by the lack of background noise.  
  
‘Alright.’ She slammed her textbook shut. ‘Lance, what’s on your mind?’ He gave her a questioning look. ‘Why are you being so quiet?’  
  
‘You’ll think it’s stupid,’ Lance said. Pidge gestured with her hand for him to continue. Lance dramatically slumped over on the couch seat on the edge of the café. ‘I think I want to ask Keith to be my boyfriend.’  
  
‘That’s it? How is that stupid?’ Pidge pushed the big glasses that framed her face up a little bit. ‘I think you should ask him. You can tell he likes you a lot.’  
  
Lance gave a long groan. ‘But what if he _doesn’t?_ ’  
  
‘He does, you noodle. Do you have his number?’ Pidge asked, to which Lance nodded in response. ‘Great. Text him now. Ask if he wants to go to the movies or something.’  
  
‘Oh God, no! What if he says no? What if he thinks I’m weird and stops talking to me? Worse, what if he-‘  
  
Pidge crossed her arms. 'Holy shit, Lance give me your phone. I’ll do it.’  
  
‘No!’ Lance cried, grabbing his phone out of his back pocket. ‘I’ll do it. Fuck, what do I say?’ He typed on the keyboard. ‘How's  _Hey Keith, was just wondering if you wanted to go see Moana with me tomorrow night?_ Is it too much? Should I put a smiley emoji after it?’  
  
‘I think that sounds great, Lance,’ Shiro cut in. ‘Now you just have to click send.’  
  
Lance took a deep breath and clicked send before he started mopping at an alarmingly fast rate. Five minutes later, his phone went off. Shiro and Pidge both paused and looked up as Lance pulled his phone out of his pocket, face white. He read the message, then read it again, then read it once more (just in case he read it wrong) before looking up and beaming. ‘It says yes!’  
  
‘See?’ Pidge looked rather triumphant. ‘I told you he liked-‘  
  
‘Next point being, what do I wear? Casual or classy?’ Lance began rattling off all his outfit choices. Shiro and Pidge let him ramble as the blue sky changed into an orange sunset and until he tired himself out, the only sound being the ambient café music and voices of people walking by.


	3. mark with a c

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which lance gets his hand held and can't spell people's names.

It was nearing 5:30 that afternoon, and Pidge was half-assing some calculus at the café when she felt her phone vibrate. She debated for a second, the merits of going on her phone when she had a calculus quiz tomorrow, but it wasn’t like she was accomplishing anything anyway. Pidge resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she saw the text was the same one Lance had sent five times already.  
  
**(5:28) lance: pidge this is the worst idea you’ve ever had  
  
**_(5:29) pidge: hey if it is it’s the only bad idea i’ve ever had  
my track record is good  
  
_**(5:29) blease  
**  
_(5:29) i’m busy text shiro_     
  
**(5:30) PIDGE HE’S WORKING!!!!! obi-wan kenobi you’re my only hope  
   
**_(5:31) ………………………_  
 _u got me with the star wars reference. what’s wrong now  
_  
**(5:32) i’m extremely Anxious  
**  
_(5:32) don’t be_   
  
**(5:32) stellar advice as always**   
  
_(5:33) wasn’t done yet genius_   
_(5:36) look lance. Keith wouldn’t have said yes to go out tonight if he wasn’t interested!! like that day I was behind him in line he looked actually dumbstruck when he saw ur number. you guys gave my cavities lance_  
_(5:37) cavities_  
_(5:37) like actual cavities in my teeth  
  
_**(5:38) yeah i get it**   
  
_(5:38) yeaH anyway, u really like him and he laughs at ur horrible pick up lines so he must be interested. ur a great guy lance  
_  
**(5:39) that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me <3  
  
**_(5:39) dsfygcdhjbwfk  
_  
**(5:40) I’ll keep you updated with what happens tonight!!!!!  
  
**_(5:42) eagerly awaiting_  
  
With that last text, Pidge switched off her phone, hoping to at least concentrate a little bit for the next few hours. Unfortunately, around ten minutes later, Pidge felt her phone vibrate again as she was halfway through differentiating an equation. _For fuck sakes Lance, get a hold of yourself,_ she grumbled to herself.  
  
**(5:51) you have been added to a group chat with takashi shirogane and lance mcclain.  
  
(5:51) lance: hey pidge has anyone ever told you your ideas are bad  
  
**(5:53) shiro: what’s this  
  
_(5:54) pidge: owo  
_  
**(5:55) don’t fuckign owo me pidge you got me into this mess  
**  
(5:55) is it not going well?  
  
**(5:57) i’m not at the cinema yet but I’m  
  
** _(5:58) ???? all you do is bitch_   
  
**(5:59) i happen to bitch the perfect amount for someone in my situation**  
  
**_(5:59) lance removed pidge from the group chat_  
_(6:00) shiro added pidge to the group chat  
_**  
(6:00) consider: both of you being civil for a second  
  
**(6:00) no  
**  
_(6:00) sounds fake  
_  
**(6:01) the bus is at my stop**   
**(6:01) bye guyS**  
**(6:02) please pray for me**   
  
Both Pidge and Shiro looked up at each other. ‘I’m going to smash my phone,’ Shiro said, shaking his head.  
  
‘Interesting that he flirts with everyone like there’s no tomorrow, but doesn’t even know what to do on a date. I’m happy for him though,’ Pidge said, beginning to pack up her books and putting them in her bag before turning to Shiro. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah? Don’t let Lance tell you anything while I’m not around.’  
  
Shiro laughed. ‘Alright Pidge, catch you tomorrow.’   
  
Pidge was editing a lab report at home that night, when her phone buzzed for the millionth time. No surprise, it was Lance.  
  
**(7:23) what does it mean when a guy holds your hand  
  
**_(7:25) lance turn your phone off ur in the middle of the movie jfc  
_  
**(7:26) oh RIGHT sorry**   
  
\--  
  
‘Shiro, I wanna tell you what happened _now,_ ’ Lance whined, pumping some whipped cream on top of a frappucino. Lance’s shift had started at 1:30 that afternoon, and there were no shortage of moments he wanted to tell Shiro about.  
  
‘It’s three now. Pidge gets here in another hour, and you know she’ll kick both of our asses if she isn’t here to hear it first.’ Shiro handed a customer an iced coffee, wishing them a good afternoon.   
  
Lance didn’t say anything, putting on a big puppy dog pout. A few minutes passed and a few more coffees were made. ‘Hey Shiro, you’ll never guess what Keith said last night – ‘   
  
‘No. Nonono. Fifteen minutes left. Wait for Pidge. Pidge is small, but I have no doubt that she’d put us flat on our faces within minutes.’  
  
‘I’ll kick Pidge’s ass,’ Lance muttered under his breath.   
  
‘You want to say that to her face?’ Shiro said, arching an eyebrow at Lance, who seemed to go a shade or two whiter upon reconsidering.   
  
‘No sir!’ Lance gave a quick salute before starting his next order.  
  
Pidge finally arrived at three-thirty, her entrance a little more exuberant than normal. ‘Sooooo,’ She said, dragging out her word as she leaned forward on the counter, staring directly at Lance. ‘How’d it go?’  
  
‘Thank fuck you’re here Pidge, I didn’t think I could wait any longer to start talking. I’ve been waiting all day. All day, Pidge.’ Lance looked exceedingly solemn, as if he was about to tell them both some top-secret government information. To be fair, Pidge _looked_ like he was going to tell her some, and Shiro felt a little twinge of excitement for Lance too.   
  
‘Can you watch your language? We’re working,’ Shiro said sternly, though he tried not to laugh at the seriousness of Lance’s tone.  
  
‘Sorry Dad,’ Lance said, rolling his eyes at the same time Shiro did. ‘Anyway, I’m going to tell you how my date with Keith went.’  
  
‘Can you do that and make my coffee at the same time?’ Pidge said. ‘I’m beyond excited, I really am, but I haven’t slept in two days.’   
  
Lance huffed, but started making her drink nonetheless. ‘Okay, so I get to the movies, and Keith’s already there, _and_ he’s got us food already, so I know he’s a keeper. The movie starts, and I’m getting really into the plot and I’ve eaten half the popcorn, when Keith just fucking…..holds my hand. Like, he just held it. So, I’m like, guess my hand is being held now.’  
  
Lance passed Pidge her drink, taking a breath in before he continued. ‘And I’m thinking, I gotta be smooth right? Then I realise, I’m completely out of my league and have no idea how to be smooth.’  
  
Pidge choked on her drink a little. ‘Oh my God, Lance.’ She wiped her mouth.  
  
Lance shot Pidge a pointed glance (that read something along the lines of _shut the hell up you toddler_.) ‘We sat like that for a bit. Then he leans in and whispers in my ear, _I’m so glad you asked me out tonight, Lance._ Like, all sexily. I just about died on the spot.’  
  
‘Then what?’ Shiro said, beginning to fix coffees for himself and Lance since there were very few customers today (Coran would never know.)   
  
‘Well, I couldn’t get my mouth to say what I wanted to say, but I got my point across in another way, if you know what I mean,’ Lance said, a coy grin on his face.   
  
‘Charming,’ Pidge said, wrinkling her forehead, unable to hide the delight on her face. ‘Well, congratulations on your marriage Lance. I for one, am very happy for the both of you.’  
  
‘Pidge! He’s my _boyfriend,_ we only just started dating yesterday.’ Lance went pink, and Shiro noticed how we rolled the word _boyfriend_ around in his mouth, like he was trying it on for size, like he was tasting it for the first time.   
  
The difference that Keith had made to Lance was astounding; sure, Shiro had known him for a few weeks, at most, but he knew what he was like. Lance made it seem like he was confident, but he sure as hell wasn’t. Something about Keith had erased those bricks of self-doubt that Lance had carried around on his shoulders. Today, Lance walked with an extra spring in his step, laughed a little louder and more often, and hummed (sometimes sang) along to the songs playing over the speakers.  
  
The next few weeks passed rather predictably. Shiro and Lance made countless coffees for countless customers, with Lance doing his coursework and attending in between. Pidge kept pulling off As in her exams, and was sometimes starting to bring younger students to the café, where she would tutor them. _Easy money. If you’re good at something, profit off it. Just like fixing computers,_ she said to Shiro when he asked her (Shiro wondered when she would admit that she loved helping people.) Keith started stopping by around the time when Lance finished his shift, and the two would walk to their dorms on campus, hand in hand. When autumn approached them, the sun setting earlier and darkness approaching them more quickly, they detoured, walking Pidge to the bus stop to check that she went home safe. It took them an extra twenty minutes to get home, but neither seemed to complain, basking in the warmth of each other’s presence.   
  
It was all very sweet, and very peaceful.  
  
….. _Too peaceful,_ Shiro thought. He shouldn’t complain, really, but it was all getting a little too quiet. The transition to autumn meant plenty of customers getting warm drinks in the morning and late in the afternoon, but much fewer in the day time. Meaning, there was nothing to do except clean and try out new flavour combinations.   
  
‘For the last time, Lance, you can’t put Red Bull in a Frappucino. It’s against nature’s wishes,’ Shiro said, shuddering at the thought of _that_ flavour combination.  
  
‘I’d try it,’ Pidge piped up.   
  
‘Oh, you know what I want to try? Vodka in coffee. Pidge, do you think-‘  
  
‘Hey! You’re both underage. Neither of you should be drinking vodka. It’s bad for your under-developed brains’ Shiro said, exasperated. _Am I manning a Starbucks or am I running a day-care?  
  
_ Protests came from both Pidge and Lance, mostly on the under-developed brain comment, but Shiro held up a hand to silence them. ‘Vodka tastes bad in coffee anyway.’   
  
And so, the afternoon went on, albeit incredibly slowly. ‘Hi, welcome to Starbucks! What can I get for you today?’ Lance said, as always.  
  
The customer, a short, bald man dressed in a business suit, knew what he wanted straight off the bat. ‘Grande Café Mocha,’ He replied, his voice a low drawl. ‘That’s for Mark, Mark with a C.’  
  
_Mark with a C. Mark with a **C.**  
What the fuck does that mean? _ Lance thought to himself as he worked. _Where does the C go?_ Lance felt his palms get a little sweaty, and as he picked up the pen to write Mark-with-a-C’s name, he froze.   
  
‘Something wrong, Lance?’ Shiro asked as he topped a Frappucino with some whipped cream.   
  
‘N-no! Everything’s fine.’ Lance gave a nervous grin. Shiro didn’t seem to notice.  
  
_Mark with a C. It’s just a name Lance, other baristas screw this up all the time. No stress, no pressure.  
  
_ ‘Excuse me, lad? I’m kind of in a rush,’ Mark-with-a-C said, casting a quick glance at his watch.  
  
‘R-right! Sorry, sir,’ Lance said, before quickly scribbling the name _Cark_ on the cup and nearly dropping it as he passed it over. ‘Have a nice day!’ Luckily, he didn’t look at the cup before he left, sparing Lance the embarrassment.   
  
Lance took a few deep breaths in and out, almost laughing at himself. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Hell, he’d had his name spelt wrong before: Lonce, Lence, Latch.   
  
‘Uh, Lance?’ Shiro called from the register. ‘Could you cover both registers for a second? We’re out of whipped cream.’   
  
Lance nodded, walking over to the register to give his well-rehearsed lines. ‘Hi there, welcome to Starbucks! How can I help you today?’  
  
‘Can I get a caramel macchiato?’ Lance could’ve sworn he’d seen the guy around before; he was tall, solid and _very cute._ Very much so.   
  
‘No problem, and your name?’   
  
‘Hunk. Hunk with a K.’ The guy gave a wink, and Lance felt a blush creep up his face (more embarrassment than anything else.) Clearly this guy had noticed his little fiasco just a minute before.  
  
‘I could’ve guessed it was with a K,’ Lance said, rolling his eyes.   
  
Hunk gave a chuckle, his eyes crinkling at the edges. ‘Alright, alright. I shouldn’t make fun. I work at the Whole Foods a few blocks from here. Customer service isn’t an easy job.’  
  
Lance hummed in agreement as he began steaming the milk. ‘So, I feel like I know you from somewhere.’  
  
‘Yeah, I was getting that vibe too. You don’t go to the university, or shop at Whole Foods, do you?’  
  
‘I happen to do both of those things, actually. What are you majoring in?’   
  
‘Engineering.’  
  
‘Oh, nice! Astrophysics for me,’ Lance said, adding an extra drizzle of caramel to Hunk’s drink. Lance didn’t hesitate as he went to write Hunk’s name on the cup; _H-u-n- **c.**_ ‘There you go! Come say hi to me if you see me yeah?’   
  
‘Oh, I will. Thanks for the drink, Lance, hopefully I’ll see you around some time!’ Hunk gave a wave as he walked from the counter and outside the store. Stopping outside the door to check his phone, he took a quick look at his drink, then mouthed _what the hell._ Hunk looked back inside the cafe to where Lance was leaning over the counter, crying with laughter. Through the glass, Lance saw Hunk start to laugh too, barely able to walk in a straight line as he waved to Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i made the end of this chapter inspired by this post: http://pngpotpies.tumblr.com/post/155297413100/its-marc-lance which made me laugh so so hard. also, hunk will defs be showing up in the next/in more chapters, but i felt like i was putting too much into one chapter if i put more stuff in. hopefully you liked this, my tumblr is altruisticallura.tumblr.com :)


End file.
